Today in the MHSAA: 12/10/15

December 10, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Wednesday was the first day of winter in full swing with significant matchups coming in six sports as four got into the heart of their first week of the season. Be sure to check out as well a story on MHSAA officials recruiting efforts.

Girls Basketball

Traverse City St. Francis won an early battle between two of the north’s top small-school teams, downing Frankfort (featured today on Second Half) 76-72 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

A pair of Concord players filled the stat sheet in a 62-56 win over Michigan Center; senior Lindsey Lehmen led with 24 points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals, and sophomore Camryn Ward grabbed 19 rebounds – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Boys Basketball

From Tuesday, Sanford Meridian freshman Lucas Lueder will be among first-year players to watch, if his 18 points in a 65-61 win over Saginaw Nouvel are an indication – Midland Daily News

Boys Bowling

Vandercook Lake could be in line for an exciting season or four after watching freshmen Korey Reichard (278) and Conner Lackey (267) lead the way in a 29-1 win over Grass Lake – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Ice Hockey

Division 3 No. 10 Farmington’s two first-period goals were enough as the Falcons scored a key early-season win over Division 2 No. 4 Berkley – Oakland Press

After finishing regulation tied, Division 2 No. 9 Traverse City Central needed only 14 seconds of overtime to get past Cadillac 4-3 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Boys Swimming & Diving

Chelsea coach Dave Jolly was the mid-Michigan link to Wednesday’s Waverly Relays, the annual event for Lansing-area teams to kick off the season; his Lower Peninsula Division 3 No. 3-ranked team broke Okemos’ five-year hold on the meet championship – Lansing State Journal

Wrestling

No. 3 Davison earned one of the most significant early wins so far this season, 45-27 over No. 4 Brighton, which beat Davison in the Division 1 Semifinals last season – Livingston Daily

Saginaw Swan Valley, No. 8 in Division 3, just escaped Essexville Garber for a 32-30 win – Saginaw News

Good Read

After more than five decades as an official, Dick Kalahar is watching from the stands this season. He is among a growing number of retiring officials the MHSAA is charged with replacing over the next few years, and this piece looks at some of the challenges and opportunities, in part through Kalahar’s eyes – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Today in the MHSAA: 5/17/19

May 17, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Girls Tennis and girls and boys track & field joined the postseason march Thursday with the first of this week’s Regional competitions in their respective sports.  

1. Girls Tennis: No. 2 Birmingham Seaholm edged No. 4 Bloomfield Hills Marian to claim a Lower Peninsula Division 2 Regional title – Oakland Press

2. Track & Field: Ishpeming’s boys and Hancock’s girls won close races to Upper Peninsula Division 2 Regional titles – Iron Mountain Daily News

3. Softball: Division 2 honorable mention Chelsea improved to 26-4, handing No. 3 Eaton Rapids (26-1) its first loss of this season during a quad – Chelsea Sun Times News

4. Baseball: Division 1 top-ranked Brownstown Woodhaven locked up its fifth straight Downriver League title with a big win over Allen Park – Southgate News-Herald

5. Track & Field: Gladstone’s boys won eight of 12 events to claim a UPD1 Regional title, while Marquette’s girls prevailed as well – Escanaba Daily Press

6. Baseball: Marysville claimed the outright Macomb Area Conference Blue title with a sweep of Fraser – Port Huron Times-Herald

7. Softball: Fowlerville swept Haslett to lock up the Capital Area Activities Conference Red championship – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

8. Girls Soccer: Division 1 No. 13 Livonia Stevenson claimed the Kensington Lakes Activities Association East title with a 3-0 win over Dearborn – Observer & Eccentric

9. Girls Tennis: No. 9 Jackson Lumen Christi won its LPD4 Regional by seven points over runner-up Kalamazoo Christian – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

10. Baseball: No. 6 Portage Northern won big over No. 10 Richland Gull Lake in a matchup of top teams in Division 1 – Kalamazoo Gazette

Also of note …

Football: The Muskegon area is mourning the death of coach Pete Kutches, who led both Muskegon Catholic Central and Reeths-Puffer to MHSAA championships – Muskegon Chronicle

Baseball: From last week, Division 1 No. 2 Birmingham Seaholm claimed its first league title since 2009 – Observer & Eccentric